Upgrade your ISP to GigE and 10GigE

Author: John Shepler

Whether your business is pure e-commerce or a traditional physical store, internet access is essential to running a business these days. One thing that is never enough is persistence. Now is the perfect time to upgrade your broadband connection to provide the bandwidth you really need to be efficient. Surprisingly, it may be cheaper than you think.

How much do you need?
Small businesses, including home offices, one-employee professional studios, retail stores, and more, can find 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet services plentiful. Maybe you can take even less...for now. In every other situation, you want the bandwidth to be fast enough to be transparent. Transparent means you don't even know it exists. Always enough to keep you going, whatever you're doing. This is the Gigabit series. Consider Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) and 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GigE).

Why is the rate much higher than you have expected for years? Business today is different. Most of what we call content is video consumption as opposed to email messages. The image is much larger, if not in physical size, then in Mbps. The database is huge. They don't call it "big data" for nothing. In addition, much of the processing has moved to the cloud or has been relocated. The high-speed Ethernet cable that connects you at home must be duplicated between you and your cloud provider.

Very fast connection available
Fortunately, the networking industry is still on the move. Driven by growing business demand, 4G and 5G wireless networks, and shrinking consumer cable networks, telecom operators are expanding their networks and lowering Mbps and Gbps costs. You may have several options to get the bandwidth you need at an affordable price.

You should be aware that Internet Service Provider (ISP) bandwidth comes in many varieties, each with their own features and prices. There is a reason why the prices are not the same. The first reason is competition from suppliers. The more options available in a given area, the more competitive the prices become, especially for high-end commercial links.

Another reason is if you can live on shared bandwidth or if you need exclusive use. Their cheapest option, of which cable is the largest provider, has bandwidth doubled or shared by multiple users. You will find that your throughput is "up to 1 Gbps" and speed is not guaranteed every time. The idea is that not everyone uses the channel all the time. In fact, it is very unlikely. So when you read something on the Internet, someone downloads that file... and vice versa.

If you run server or critical software in the cloud that requires as little fluctuation as possible, you need at least dedicated Internet access (DIA). It may also be necessary to switch to a direct connection between you and your cloud provider to achieve the desired performance. It completely takes you away from the internet and its madness. Dedicated Internet access allows you to stay online but doesn't share "last mile" bandwidth. Either way, this is where traffic jams occur the most.

Another consideration is whether symmetrical bandwidth is needed. Most Internet services that offer shared bandwidth are also asymmetric. This means much faster download speeds, sometimes up to 10x faster than upload speeds. This makes sense if you primarily browse websites or download videos, as most consumers do. However, if you're running a cloud process where you upload as much as you do large backups to off-site storage, you'll need a symmetric throughput option.

Your ISP's bandwidth options
So what is available? Wired broadband using the DOCSIS 3.0 or 3.1 standard allows Internet access with a total bandwidth of 100 to 1000 Mbps, usually asymmetric. It's pretty reliable these days and you can't beat the price.

If you are outside where there are no cables, you can simply use 4G or 5G wireless broadband. Yes, it's the same broadband that powers your smartphone, but with a dedicated modem that connects the office network. Another option is business satellite broadband. It works pretty much everywhere and offers decent bandwidth. Latency can be an issue, especially with VoIP phones and video conferencing, but otherwise it might be just the ticket. Note that both of these wireless options have limited resources, so you may experience usage restrictions.

Fiber optic bandwidth is the gold standard today. It's cheaper than ever, and you can usually get all the bandwidth you want. Here you will find DIA and symmetrical options. You can also find services that connect you directly to a cloud provider or other office.

Fixed wireless access was once very limited and only in large city centers. It is very recent and can often work without fiberglass. This will come in handy when the cost of fiber optic construction is high or you don't have to wait long for the installation to be installed.

Should you upgrade your ISP to GigE or 10 GigE? Maybe even 100 GigE? If your current internet service is suffocating your business, you can't really afford it. Check the prices and availability of high-speed business internet and direct connections now to see what is available for your office.